Charles Oakley Compares James Dolan To Donald Sterling
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Charles Oakley on Thursday compared Knicks owner James Dolan to Donald Sterling, the former Clippers owner who was recorded in 2014 making racist comments.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, the ex-Knick said he anticipates more people will come forward to voice concerns about Dolan.
"This is a big thing," Oakley said.
When asked specifically if he believed Dolan is a racist, Oakley said, "He's on the level."
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Oakley was forcibly removed from Madison Square Garden last week, charged by police with assaulting security staff and later banned from the arena. The Knicks accused Oakley of "abusive behavior" during a game against the Clippers. The former power forward insists he said nothing to Dolan before the incident.
After Dolan and Oakley met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Monday, the Knicks owner lifted the ban and said he hoped to have Oakley attend a game as his guest.
But Oakley is not ready to bury the hatchet, saying he first wants a public apology.
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"He's a control freak," Oakley said. "He's got everybody in the Garden on pins and needles.
"There's a lot of things going on. Like I said, I don't know that man. But if you hear 90 percent of New York don't like somebody and ... this man's been around for a long time -- I ain't heard nothing good about him."
Oakley also said Dolan was "way out of line" for saying he may have a drinking problem.
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"If I had them type of issues, someone would've came forward," Oakley said. " ... I'm not that guy. That's what I'm saying. He's trying to paint me as a different person."
Oakley's latest comments come a day after Warriors power forward Draymond Green said Dolan displayed a "slave master mentality."
"You doing it for me, it's all good," Green said on his "Dray Day" podcast. "You doing it against me, you speaking out against my organization, it's not good anymore? That's a slave mentality -- a slave master mentality. That's ridiculous."
